WSU students stranded after being evicted

About 50 Walter Sisulu University students who have been staying at a Southernwood-based Majestic residence have been evicted this evening.

The owner of the building, Malibongwe Mthuzula said he evicted the students to protect his property from the possible vandalism by the students.

Earlier, students were seen lying on mattresses in front of the building as a form of protest.

SRC president Vuyo Langeni has told DispatchLIVE that since the students had been evicted, they had made it clear that they would not return to the residence.

He said whether there was a contract between the university and the landlord, it had since been null and void.

“The landlord was the first to breach the contract by making students stay in a place that has no electricity. He has made it worse by evicting them,” he said.

Langeni said they were busy looking for a temporal accommodation where students will sleep tonight.

“We will have a meeting with management tomorrow to address the issue,” he said.

Earlier Mthuzula, said there was no electricity at the residence because of non-payments from the university. “I have run out of funds. I haven’t been paid since January. I don’t have money,” he said.

University spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo told DispatchLIVE earlier that the payment to the landlord was delayed due to the backlog in processing because of the strike action. “The Buffalo City campus was shutdown and both staff and students were requested not to access the campus due to the violent nature of the protest,” she said